Abstract

PEREZ MARTINEZ, Víctor T.  and  DE LA VEGA PAZITKOVA, Tatiana. Repercussion of dementia in the fundamental carers of "Ana Betancourt" Polyclinic. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2010, vol.26, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3038.

Introduction: senile dementia is nowadays recognized as a major entity in socioeconomic, geriatric, psychiatric and epidemiologic order. Its care represents a high emotional and economic cost for patient, family and fundamental carer. Objectives: to describe the psychosocial repercussion of dementia syndrome in fundamental carers of "Ana Betancourt" Polyclinic. Methods: a cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted during the first four months of 2009 in patients from ""Ana Betancourt" Polyclinic of Playa municipality. It included 36 carers of a same number of patients diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer disease according a criteria sampling. Results: most of fundamental carers were women, daughters of patients, in its fifth decade of life, housewives, divorced and with a pre-university schooling level. The main reason of carer's consultation was request professional help to control the non-cognitive symptoms of disease. The carer devotes almost 13 hours caring the patient suffering dementia, most of time in supervision and surveillance. There was a marked psychological affection in 64 % of carers. The overload level or stress in group of study carers was high. Conclusions: the care of a patient suffering of dementia is associated with a significant level of overload and stress expressing in the high psychological morbidity seen in fundamental carers. It is necessary to design a educational intervention plan directed to these carers to reduce the chronic overload or stress suffered by these persons

Keywords : Senile dementia; Alzheimer; fundamental carer; overload.

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